ASUU Protest Grounds Lectures and Exams at UNIBEN

Academic activities at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) have been brought to a standstill following a protest staged by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The demonstration, which started this week, has disrupted lectures, examinations, and other academic engagements, leaving thousands of students stranded and uncertain about the fate of the ongoing semester.

Why ASUU is Protesting

The protest is part of ASUU’s renewed push against what it describes as the federal government’s failure to honor agreements reached with the union. Issues raised include unpaid earned academic allowances, poor funding of universities, and delays in the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, which ASUU insists is long overdue.

According to union leaders, their patience has been stretched thin by years of unfulfilled promises, and the protest is meant to send a strong signal that university lecturers can no longer continue under these conditions.

The Situation at UNIBEN

At UNIBEN, the protest has led to an immediate suspension of lectures across faculties. Students who resumed for the new session and those in the middle of examinations were forced to vacate the lecture halls. The usually bustling campus has turned quiet, with many students expressing frustration over yet another disruption to their academic calendar.

For some final-year students, the timing could not be worse, as project defenses and graduation timelines are now uncertain.

Students React

Reactions from students have been mixed. While many sympathize with their lecturers over the prolonged neglect of the education sector, others feel helpless and betrayed, as their academic progress continues to be the casualty of disputes between ASUU and the federal government.

“This is not the first time. Every time ASUU protests, we are the ones who suffer the most. Some of us may even end up spending more years in school than planned,” a student from the Faculty of Social Sciences lamented.

What Happens Next

UNIBEN’s management has acknowledged the situation but emphasized that the matter lies beyond their direct control, as it is tied to a nationwide ASUU action. Until a resolution is reached between the federal government and ASUU, academic activities in UNIBEN remain on hold.

The protest adds to the long list of disruptions that have plagued Nigeria’s higher institutions over the years, reviving questions about the sustainability of the current structure of public university education in the country.